Saints Bountygate Litigation and The Death of Reason

this is a discussion within the Saints Community Forum; Increasing Punishment Based on Retaliation?
This weekend Jason Cole wrote on Twitter that NFL sources suggested Jonathan Vilma's suspension would have been reduced to maybe 4 games instead of the entire season had the NFLPA cooperated with the NFL. Really? ...

This weekend Jason Cole wrote on Twitter that NFL sources suggested Jonathan Vilma's suspension would have been reduced to maybe 4 games instead of the entire season had the NFLPA cooperated with the NFL. Really? How is that a reasoned, non-arbitrary system to retaliate against players due the advice of their union and lawyers?

The idea is that had Vilma and other players cooperated with the NFL, they would have got a reduced punishment. Don't think there is any evidence of that.

The Saints coaches participated in the flawed, secret evidence, bizarre due process appeal to the Comissioner, and got zero reduction of their suspension. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell believed that the coaches lied. Both Saints head coach Sean Payton in his sole public statement, and interim head coach Joe Vitt in sworn court testimony suggested that they didn't lie. If Goodell doesn't believe Payton after speaking to him in person, and Vitt after he has testified under threat of prosecution of perjury, I'm not sure what evidence is sufficient for Goodell.

Its not such a crazy theory that cooperation would have warranted in a reduced sentence.

Anyone that has seen Law and Order knows that!

The league does have a point though... Hearing the other side is the only way to justify a lesser sentence. Who knows... The league could have been looking for information showing that GW forced them... With out hearing the other side, one can only assume that there is no different story.

Why this is going on and on?
It all come down to one (1) factor: the ego trip of Roger Goodell.

The NFL has no stake in Bounty/Pay for Performance punishment other than it had disgruntled former Saints employees complaining to the NFL front office about a program that was no different than any other at every other franchise in the NFL.

Goodell felt "lied" to and this is where all this started.

The league should have tried to make this come to an end months ago, but it's Goodell's ego that has pursued Vilma like the "white whale" from Moby Dick.

The NFL is losing this fight. I don't even think they can win now from a public and media standpoint. If I were them I'd concede defeat and get out of this mess anyway I could and then fire Roger. He f *****up. Everybody knows it.